Women's BC

[cstreu1026]

I am trying to get my finace some decent gear to replace her very entry level dacor stuff. She already bought Mares M1 computer and I just bought her an Peks ATX40 reg and octo. Now I am looking for a BC. I can't talk her into a back inflate so a BP/Wing set up is out, though I did think about giving her my Raider and getting one for myself. Too bad that got shot down. Any opinion on good jacket style women specific BC's.

 

[Padipro]

I bought my wife a Sea Quest, Libra a couple of years ago and she says that it's the best BC she's ever had. It is a back inflate with intrigrated weights but it's cut to fit a woman. I'm not sure they still make this model but I'm sure they have something that's made just for women.

Here's a picture of her in her BC.

Wife's BC

 

[crazyc]

First of all in order to really help, a few questions need to be asked.
What type/temp of water does she dive in?
How large/medium/small is she...body fat and frame wise?
How often does she dive?
What type of diving does she do?
What type of tanks does she use?

Anyway, look at at least some of these type questions to start with. Then look at her upper body shape. Does she really need a BC that is being marketed as a "woman's BC", or does she need a BC that just plain fits her and the diving she does. Many times I have seen women purchase a "woman's BC" that was totally wrong for them and didn't fit them or the diving they were undertaking. The bought it simply because it was named something cutsie and marketed as a "woman's BC" and then tried to make it work for themselves and wound up with something they hated in no time at all, but couldn't afford to purchase the correct BC because they had just spent a bunch on the current one.

It is worth going around to different shops and trying on as many as possible to find one that fits her frame and fulfills the questions on type of diving etc. A BC that doesn't fit is an irritant and can become a hazard to the diver. And please remember that a BC that may fit me and 100 other women, may not fit your wife.

Good luck with your search.

 

[cstreu1026]

She will stick primarily to warm water, atleast until we can afford a couple of drysuits. We tried to do VOrtex Springs and its 68 degree water and she got a serious case of the shivers in a wetsuit and we didn't get to dive. She does have a larger build and she is about 5'10" or 5'11" so a men's BC would probably work ok, I just think a women specific model would work better.

 

[Padipro]

Like CrazyC said, check out all the LDS's and see what they have. Try them on, preferably with a wetsuit top on to be sure of the fit, and see how they feel on her. Talk to the shop personal, ask a lot of questions about the features of each BC, and then come back here and list the ones that she liked and fit well and see if there are some people that own some of them and to tell you more about them.

You might also want to post another thread in the Womens Only section to see if you get a few more responses.

Good Luck,

Scott

 

[leadweight]

My approach is to shop for a BC for a Woman.

In other words, take her shopping, see what she likes and give her a bit of guidance. Leave the final decision up to her. She may be more comfortable with a female specific BC, or might find something else.

The abovementioned Seaquest Libra is still around and is definitely worth looking at. Another nice looking one is the Scubapro Ladyhawk.

Check out some threads in the woman's diving forum on this board.

 

[Norm]

I got my daughter a Zeagle Zena. She liked it instantly. It was the first BC that truly "fit" her. (I was amazed at all of the thought going into the fit and the adjustments for women)
A good friend of our's saw it and got herself on the next week! She is totally pleased with it.
Norm

 

[leadweight]

I just reread the original post and noticed that "back inflate" ws out. Perhaps the most popular woman's BC is the Sea-Quest Diva. I see gals wearing it on dive boats all the time.

 

[cstreu1026]

We went and looked at BC's today and she actually like the Seaquest Pro. We are going to look some more though becasue the shop we visited was out of a lot of stuff and they had a lot of new stuff coming in soon. She like the swiveling shoulder straps, but I still would like to check out a Diva and maybe a few more before I buy something.

 

[all4diving]

cstreu1026

Believe it or not the Tusa Plantina has been an outstanding rig for my wife. We looked at a number of ladies specific BC's and she liked it best. If you shop the internet you can find this BC very reasonably priced, less than $225. She considered the Ladyhawk ScubaPro but did not like the way it fit around her neck. Diva LX was also a consideration but she chose the Tusa.

Hope this helps.

PS - Definately invest the funds in the Duo-Air Octo. Works very well. My SeaQuest AirSource works quite well also.

all4diving
:sharky: